


The Regular Customer

by nyycuh (ngch)



Category: Frozen (2013), Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, F/M, Mecha, Minor Injuries, Minor Violence, One-Sided Attraction, Shipping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-24
Updated: 2014-10-24
Packaged: 2018-02-22 09:59:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2503748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ngch/pseuds/nyycuh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack was a barista working at a small family-owned cafe, working hard to earn money for his college education. He had a crush on Elsa, the cafe's most beautiful and enigmatic regular customer. Despite being already friends, Jack had no idea what Elsa's profession was, and Elsa was very reluctant to share it with him. What was Elsa's profession, and why was she so reluctant to tell him?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Regular Customer

Jack yawned as he watched the hour hand on the cafe's grandfather clock ticked to ten. It had been a long night, and there was still another hour to go before they could close the cafe. There were still a handful of customers in there, but they had already finished their last drinks and were just lazing around until it was time for the cafe to close shop.

Life as a coffee barista was not always easy for eighteen years old Jack, who took the job to pay for his college education, but it was a job he enjoyed. He enjoyed interacting with customers, something which his boss actively encouraged his workers to do when work allows. It helped that the cafe he was working in was _Little Coffee Cup_ , a laid-back family-owned cafe on the outskirts of Arendelle City. If only the late-night shifts weren't so boring.

The bell on the entrance door rung, announcing the entrance of another late-night customer. Jack turned around, and he was delighted to meet his favourite customer.

"Hi Elsa," he greeted.

"Hello Jack," the gorgeous young lady with braided platinum blonde hair greeted back. She was the epitome of sophistication and feminine grace in her stylish trench coat.

"Same as last time?" Jack asked, referring to Elsa's favourite coffee brew.

"Yes, but without the whipped cream, please."

Jack could work the coffee brewing machine like a pro by then, and he was extra meticulous when brewing Elsa's coffee. Once done, he personally delivered the freshly-brewed pumpkin spice latte to Elsa at a corner of the cafe, away from the rest of the customers.

Jack sat down opposite Elsa at the table. "So, how is it?"

Elsa took a whiff, savouring the aroma. When she took a careful sip of the piping hot latte, her delicate face filled with delight. "Wow, this is amazing! You've surprised me again, Jack."

"Heh, it's nothing," Jack scoffed. Behind his cool arrogance, Jack was overcome with euphoria. He had a massive crush on Elsa and he was eager to please her by the best way he knew as a barista.

Jack first met Elsa a month ago when she started frequenting the cafe. In the beginning, she wasn't very talkative. She would walk in, order a generic coffee blend, and then sat at the exact same corner and drink in silence. She looked so cold and aloof back then, none of Jack's colleagues dared to approach her.

The unwritten rule of the cafe was that workers should leave quiet customers alone. He didn't know what drove him to do so, but one night he broke that rule by saying hi to her. As it turned out, Elsa was in the mood to chat with him.

One thing led to another, and soon, he found himself waiting every weekday night for her to come into the cafe. No matter how long the day was, or how tired he felt, he would stay until closing time just for Elsa. When Elsa came, they would talk endlessly about every topics under the sun until the cafe had to close. Elsa especially enjoyed talking about books, their one common love.

"So, Jack, have you read any good books lately?" Elsa asked.

"Well, as a matter of fact, I've just finished _The Snow Queen_ ," Jack replied confidently.

"That's a wonderful story. I used to adore it as a child," Elsa said. "Is it your first time reading it?"

"Heh, yes. I didn't like books when I was little. In fact, I hated reading," Jack said. "I'm only just catching up on my childhood reading list."

"That's actually a nice idea. The best children's tales are even more enjoyable when you read it as an adult," Elsa said. Elsa then closed her eyes and silently drank her coffee. She looked so peaceful and serene as she drank.

"How's your college fund coming along?" she asked.

"Oh, it's coming along nicely! I might even be able to enrol when the new term begins," Jack said confidently. In truth, after subtracting the rent and daily expenses, Jack barely had enough to cover his tuition fees, let alone the daily expense of actually staying in college. He was not lying though; he had already planned to continue working part-time in the cafe while he studied.

"That's nice to hear. Keep up the good work," Elsa said encouragingly. Jack's heart fluttered.

"So, Elsa, I've noticed you almost never talk about yourself. Where do you work?" Jack asked.

Elsa put down her cup of coffee. "Oh, haven't I told you? I work in the government."

Jack chuckled. "I remember that, but it's kind of broad. Exactly what do you work as?"

"Well, if you insist on asking, I deal with the laws," Elsa said.

"So, are you a judge or something?"

"No." Elsa said flatly, fidgeting uneasily. Sensing her discomfort, he backed off.

"Sorry, I won't ask again," he apologised.

"No, it's okay. It's just – I don't want to think about work right now. It's been so stressful lately and there's so, so much stuff on my mind right now. I just want to take a break from it all, that's all," she said.

Jack nodded. "Alright."

Elsa took one more sip of her coffee, put down her cup, and stood up. "It's been nice meeting you, Jack, but I must go. See you next time."

"Bye!" Jack bade Elsa goodbye as she left the cafe. Elsa stepped out of the glass door, looked back at Jack through the glass, gave him a quick wave before leaving.

Sighing, Jack scooped up the half-finished cup Elsa left behind. He felt guilty, like he had trespassed Elsa's comfort boundary. He had pushed a little harder than usual when asking Elsa about her occupation, and it seemed to have upset her for some reason.

He recently started hearing his colleagues gossiping in the back kitchen about Elsa, aside from the old tired teasing that he was falling head over heels for Elsa. They were gossiping over what Elsa's profession was, and it was rapidly becoming the biggest mystery of all in the cafe. Even the other regular patrons had joined in the gossip.

Speculations varied wildly. Some said she was a lawyer; some said she was in the police force; and some said she was a secretary working for the city's police chief. The ones who believed she was a secretary had went as far as insinuating that she got that job only because of her good looks. This greatly incensed Jack, especially since that rumour circulated at the heel of a widely publicised scandal over the city's Public Works Director's illicit affair with his personal assistant.

_They didn't know what kind of person Elsa was! She was an upstanding and hard-working career woman, not some vapid ex-cheerleader who only exploits her looks for her own selfish desires!_

_Right?_

That night, he was hoping that he could at least clear some doubts over her occupation, but he had failed. Whatever Elsa's occupation was, she clearly did not want him to know. Adding to the mystery was the fact that her visit was irregular – she would come for several consecutive nights, and then disappear for an entire week.

Jack wondered, why did Elsa keep coming back? She was clearly a sophisticated and highly-educated lady. She could have gone down-town, mingle with rich and beautiful people like her, and enjoy the rich night life that Arendelle city was famous for. Instead, she kept coming back to this little cafe in a street more well-known for hipster-style eateries and thrift shops, just to drink coffee and chat with him about books.

Could she be coming back to see him? No, he thought self-deprecatingly, he was thinking too highly of himself. Sure, the young female patrons of the cafe were swooning over him and nicknaming him 'Jack Frost' for his frosty handsome look. But after it was all said and done, he was still a broke kid sharing an apartment with his parents and working an hourly wage to earn money for college. Elsa was older than him and already holding a steady job. What chances did he have at winning her heart?

Perhaps there was no answer to that question. It was just another mystery to the cafe's most enigmatic regular customer.

**

Three days later, at noon, Jack was swamped with orders. The lunchtime crowd, comprising mainly of art students from the nearby college, had arrived, keeping him and his colleagues very busy. He could barely kept up with the coffee order, but after working in the cafe for close to a year, he was used to it.

"Jack! I have a takeaway order for a customer outside. Can you deliver it?" one of the cooks instructed him from the kitchen, handing over a large plastic bag containing three boxes of coffee cake. With almost everyone working in the kitchen to keep up with the lunch orders, Jack was the only one who could make the delivery.

"Sure." Jack finished up his current coffee order and delivered the bag outside to a customer outside waiting in a car. He waved goodbye as the car sped off.

When he was about to re-enter the cafe, he heard a police siren wailing in the distance, followed by loud crashing noise. It sounded like pieces of metal clanging against each other, but he couldn't put a finger on what it was. He turned to the direction of the noise at his right, just in time to see a lamp-post falling onto a parked car, smashing its windscreen and causing its alarm to go off.

When he spotted a massive object heading towards him from the left side of the street, he dashed back into the cafe.

"Everyone, get out through the kitchen! Get out!" He shouted at the top of his voice, waving his arms. The customers all went silent as they stared at the young barista who was suddenly urging them to get out of the cafe.

"I'm serious, get out! It's not safe here!" he shouted again. The moment he finished his sentence, there was horrendous crashing sound from outside the cafe. The cafe patrons started screaming and fleeing towards the kitchen door.

"Out, get out!" Jack shouted repeatedly as he held the kitchen door open and directed the customers. The two massive objects entered his left field of vision from the inside of the cafe. A lamp post directly in front of the cafe front window toppled and smashed into the window. Jack dived for cover behind the cashier counter. Glass pieces shattered all over the floor and on the counter, narrowly missing Jack.

"Evacuate! Evacuate!" a disembodied woman's voice echoed across the street above the screaming of pedestrians fleeing for their lives. There were sound of tires squealing on the tarmac and the noises of vibrating metal. Jack looked up from the counter, and his jaws went slack at what he saw.

A silvery, two-storey high robot was locked in a hand-to-hand struggle against a stout, bulky construction robot. The silvery robot had flashing police sirens on its shoulders and the Arendelle city police embalm on its chest.

Jack couldn't believe his eyes. He was watching one of Arendelle city's fabled police mech units in action. He had seen them in action on the news, deployed against criminals who had recently started stealing construction robots to carry out criminal activities. He never imagined that he would see one in action, nor could he have imagined how terrifying it was to be caught in its cross-fire.

The yellow and black construction robot revved up its six tires, trying to push the police robot out of the way by sheer brute force. The police robot held its ground, its rubberised soles digging deeper into the road to that point that it was cracking the tarmac.

Jack heard someone crying near him. He turned and spotted a college girl of his age hiding behind an overturned table. He sprung over to her aid. When he reached her, he slipped and fell onto the floor with his hands touching the sharp glass pieces.

"Go! You'll be safe there!" Jack led the girl towards the relative safety of the kitchen where the other cafe patrons had escaped to. He stayed behind at the counter, terrified for his life and yet anxious to see how the fight would play out.

The construction robot swung one of its large pincer claws at the police robot's head. The police robot reacted swiftly, catching its opponent's claw with its human-like hand. It then twisted the construction robot's outstretched arm in a way reminiscent of how a policeman would execute an arm-lock, only the construction robot's arm bend differently and the twisting motion broke its joint. The pincer dislocated and dropped, making a terrifying din as it hits the pavement with electric sparks still flying out of the broken joint.

The construction robot started emitting smoke from its undercarriage, but its pilot showed no inclination of giving up. The police robot dug its heels even further, straining to hold its ground against its opponent.

Jack then heard loud popping noise. Two pod-like objects with red cables trailing behind them struck the back of the construction robot. There were the crackling sound of electrical components short-circuiting and burning out. The construction robot's tires stopped turning. It slumped forward and became very still, its undercarriage billowing black acrid smoke.

Another police robot, identical to the first one, came into view from behind the runaway mech. Red wires from the pods were connected to a launcher device mounted on the police robot's right arm. The pods were electrical shocker used to disarm rogue robots by overloading its circuitry with a non-lethal electric discharge; an effective weapon against commercial mechs with only basic electromagnetic shielding.

The police robot that shot the pods kneeled down and opened its cockpit hatch. The first police robot took a step backward from the disabled robot, and opened its cockpit hatch too.

Cautiously, Jack emerged from behind the counter, peeking at what was happening outside. Two police officers – policewomen, judging from their slender figures – jumped out of their respective robots and took defensive positions behind their robots' legs. They took out their guns and pointed them at the cockpit of the disabled robot.

"Pilot of runaway vehicle, we have you surrounded! Put both of your hands above your head!" The policewoman from the first robot, the taller one of the two, ordered the pilot of the construction robot.

"With only one hand, open the hatch," she continued. Both policewomen kept their guns trained on the pilot, as the man inside opened the hatch.

"Climb down from the cockpit. Keep your hands up when you reached the ground." The man obediently climbed out of the cockpit, both arms up when both of his feet were on the ground.

"Take five steps to your right and get down on the ground," The policewoman ordered one more time. The suspect did as he was told and laid down face-first on the ground.

The policewoman holstered her gun and approached the suspect, with her colleague still training her own gun on the suspect. She patted down the suspect on the ground, removed a concealed gun from his pants, and finally lifted him back to his feet. The other policewoman holstered her gun and joined her colleague.

"Why don't you clean my shoes while you're at it, woman," the suspect cussed, finally showing some defiance. Neither of the policewomen answered. They restrained the suspect with their arms and waited for the incoming backup to arrive in patrol cars.

The backup police officers led the suspect away. Free of their burden, the taller policewoman surveyed her surroundings. Then, the shorter policewoman pointed her finger right at the cafe where Jack was in. The taller policewoman hurried into the cafe.

"Hello? Is anyone here? Is anyone hurt?" she called out inside the cafe. She cautiously entered the cafe, the glass pieces breaking beneath her boots.

Jack slowly stood up from the counter with both of his hands raised. "I'm here, officer. I'm unharmed," he said. He gasped when he recognised the policewoman's face beneath the helmet.

Elsa was the policewoman.

"Jack?" Elsa was shocked to see him. She then exclaimed, "Jack, your hand!"

Jack looked at both of his hands and he realised for the first time that his left hand was bleeding profusely. He had cut his hand when his hand touched the glass pieces on the floor. The adrenaline pumping through his body had numbed the pain up until that very moment. He felt a wave of sharp pain shooting up his arms, growing worse with every second.

"Ow! It's really hurting now!" he cried out, clutching his injured hand.

"Hang on, let me treat this." Elsa hurried over to the sink next to the coffee-making equipments and turned on the water. She then gently directed Jack's bloodied hand to the running water.

"Do you have a first aid kit here?" Elsa asked.

"It's – it's under the cashier," Jack managed to answer while wincing from the stabbing sensation of icy water running through his palm.

Elsa dug out the first aid kit, placed it on the counter and opened it. She expertly prepared the alcohol solution to clean Jack's wound. She then took Jack's hand off the running water, examined it, and started cleaning the wound with an alcohol-soaked cotton swab.

"Ouch!" Jack winced some more from the stinging pain of the solution.

"Sorry, I should have warned you that it will hurt," Elsa apologised.

"It's fine. It just a little painful, that's all," Jack reassured her. He endured the pain by trying to focus on how Elsa's delicate hands were touching his. It was a nice feeling, but it still did not lessen the pain.

After she finished cleaning his wound, she applied disinfectant on the cuts and bandaged Jack's hand. Before long, she was done, and Jack's hand no longer stun.

"Thanks," Jack thanked Elsa, admiring her first-aid handiwork.

"Is there anyone left in the cafe?" she asked urgently.

"Yes, but don't worry, they've evacuated through the kitchen."

"Can you bring me to them?"

Jack led Elsa through the empty kitchen to the back door. He opened it, and saw other officers of Arendelle police force already tending to the people who had gathered there. They were shaken, but otherwise none of them were hurt.

"They're fine, don't worry about them," Jack said as he closed the door behind him.

"Good. Thank goodness." Elsa walked back to the cafe's dining area with Jack following behind. She was visibly stressed.

"Elsa, are – are you okay?" Jack asked out of concern. This was the first time Jack had ever seen Elsa this troubled, and it was scaring him.

The radio intercom in Elsa's helmet crackled to life. "I'm sorry Jack, please give me a moment," she said to him. She turned away and pressed a button on the side of the helmet. "Unit 2 to Command, send over," she spoke into the mouthpiece mounted on her helmet.

"Command to Unit 2, please report. Over," the radio squawked back. Jack could hear the conversation from where he stood. The voice of Elsa's commander belonged to a woman.

"Unit 2 to Command, suspect has been apprehended. I've attended to one injured civilian inside a cafe. The rest of the civilians have been attended to by backups, over."

"Command to Unit 2, any property damage? Over."

Elsa surveyed the ruined interior of the cafe in dismay. "Unit 2 to Command, extensive property damage. Over."

"Command to both units, how is the getaway vehicle? Over."

"Unit 1 to Command, getaway vehicle has been totalled. We need another truck. And also clean-up crew. Over," came the reply of another woman from the radio. Jack guessed it was voice of the other pilot.

"Command to Unit 1, copy that. Good job everyone. Don't worry, we'll handle the rest from here. Pick-up ETA 5 minutes. Command to Unit 1 and 2, over and out."

Elsa turned to Jack, her face filled with remorse. "Jack, I – I'm so sorry this happened," she whispered.

"Elsa-" Jack was about to speak when Elsa cut him off.

"Oh wait, I almost forgot!" Elsa grabbed a napkin and a pen, and started scribbling a phone number on it. "Please give this number to your boss. He can file a claim for damage from the Arendelle police force."

"Elsa-"

"And get your wound checked at a clinic as soon as possible. Keep the receipt. I'll repay you, I promise-"

"Elsa, it's alright, I'm fine," Jack said. Elsa stopped talking. They looked at each other silently, neither knowing what else to say.

The shorter policewoman, whom Jack just realized had strawberry-blonde hair, sprinted over to the entrance of the cafe. "Elsa? I hate to interrupt, but it's time to go. Kristoff has arrived," she said.

"Yes Anna. Just – just give me a second," Elsa replied. Anna tipped her helmet and hurried back to her own robot.

"Elsa, I've a feeling that my boss and the other cafe patrons probably aren't very happy now. You should go before anyone else recognises you," Jack advised her.

Elsa nodded. "Stay safe, Jack," she said. She then turned away.

"Wait! Will you be coming back?" Jack asked.

Elsa hesitated. "I'll see you again, Jack," she said without looking back. "Goodbye."

Elsa went back to her robot outside. A flatbed truck had just reversed into the narrow street to carry away the broken construction robot. Elsa climbed back into her robot's cockpit and closed the bottom hatch, leaving the top half open. Her robot whirred back to life and got back to its feet, looking majestic despite the dents and scratches on its exteriors.

Inside their robots, Anna and Elsa guided the broken robot onto the truck's flatbed trailer while it was hoisted on the truck's crane. The robot was lowered onto the trailer and fastened down. With the massive crime scene evidence safely secured, the truck drove away.

Anna followed the truck in her robot. Elsa lingered for a moment.

Jack walked out of the cafe onto the pavement. From the open cockpit, Elsa looked back at Jack through the translucent blue visor that was covering her eyes. The robot's head, with its high-resolution cameras and side mounted antennas, turned in tandem with Elsa's head, its pair of sapphire blue optic sensors now trained at Jack.

Jack was no longer looking at Elsa. He was looking at Elsa's mask, the mask of the city's sworn protector of lives and order. The robot, the city's most potent symbol of justice and technological superiority, was her mask.

Elsa turned away and followed Anna down the road, leaving Jack behind at the destroyed cafe.

**

Four weeks passed. Thanks to the damage reimbursement from the Arendelle police force, the owner of cafe had repaired all damages to the cafe, even having enough left over to buy much needed upgrades to the kitchen and coffee equipment. After a week of repair, the cafe was back in business, and Jack's colleagues and boss had finally stopped complaining about Arendelle's police. The streets had also been repaired, and there was no remaining evidence of the damage caused by the robots.

That night though, Jack was feeling melancholic. Even though his injured hand had healed nicely and he had a brand new coffee machine to play with, he felt like the days since the accident were worse than before. Elsa hadn't returned since that fateful day, and he missed her.

Would he ever see her again? Jack doubts so. Arendelle was a big city. If Elsa had stopped visiting the cafe, she might as well have disappeared from his life for good.

"Jack, are you still waiting for her?" a colleague asked him. In the past, that question would be followed by laughters and merciless teasing over his innocent boyhood crush on the older woman. Ever since Elsa stopped coming visiting though, his colleagues were asking the same question more tactfully. They were aware that Jack was feeling depressed over Elsa's absence.

"Not really," Jack lied.

"Let her go. There will be other women in your life, trust me," was his colleague's sage advice.

"Yeah, you're right," Jack said wearily. "Guess I better start cleaning up."

**

Unbeknownst to Jack, Elsa was standing outside the cafe, staying just out of Jack's sight. She was still wearing shades even though it was already night-time. She carefully peeked into the cafe to check if Jack was inside, and turned back. She was glad to see that he was inside, but now she was nervous.

It was the first time she returned to the cafe since the incident involving the runaway construction robot. She was afraid of returning out of fear that someone inside might recognize her and confront her over the extensive property damage the arrest had caused – that she allowed to happen.

It would have been easy for her to never come back. She would never need to confront her fear of meeting the people she had let down. But she felt she still owed Jack at least one more visit, just to assure him that she wanted to remain friends with him.

Gathering up her courage, she pushed the glass door open and entered the cafe.

**

Whilst cleaning up the coffee making machine, Jack heard the door bell chimed. He turned around, and to his delight, Elsa was back.

"Hey," he greeted, not hiding his boyish grin.

"Hey," Elsa replied. She was wearing shades, and she hadn't taken them off.

"So, want some coffee?" he asked.

"I – I don't know. I'm not really in a mood to drink," Elsa replied. Jack's face fell. Is this her final goodbye?

"So, are you staying?" Jack asked.

Elsa sighed. "I – I guess I'll just stay here tonight without drinking, if that's okay."

"It's fine. We're closing in an hour anyway."

"Thanks." Elsa went to her favourite spot again and sat down with her shades still on. Even with her eyes hidden, Jack could tell from her posture that she was exhausted and uneasy.

Jack occupied himself by cleaning up the coffee machine, thinking furiously over how he should approach Elsa next. Offer sappy words of comfort and encouragement? Thank her for stopping the runaway robot at the risk of upsetting her even further? Confess his feelings to her? Or just talk about books again? Jack was anxious. What if this was really the last time he would ever see Elsa?

"Jack?" Elsa suddenly called out from the table. Jack jumped from surprise.

"I've changed my mind. Can I have a cappuccino? If it's not too late for an order, that is," Elsa requested, her sunglasses now off her face. Elsa had never ordered cappuccino at the cafe.

"Sure! No problem!" Jack eagerly agreed. Despite having just cleaned the coffee machine and utensils, he brewed a large serving of chocolate cappuccino topped with whipped cream. He then personally delivered it to her.

"Hey, are you busy? Have a seat," Elsa offered.

"Thanks." Jack sat down opposite Elsa. "So, I guess I know what your job is now."

Elsa nodded. "It's no big secret. I'm just not eager to have people on the street recognizing me after what I've done."

Jack remembered the news coverage of the arrest. It did not paint a flattering image of the Arendelle police force. Even though they had successfully stopped a reckless criminal in a stolen construction robot without any serious casualty, there were intense media and the public backlash over the resulting property damage. Having witnessed first-hand how dangerous Elsa's job was, Jack felt that the backlash was completely unwarranted, but that was just the way things were.

"Yeah, I figured out that part. But I don't think you're in the wrong. Things could have a been hell a lot worse if not for you. I mean, it's only our cafe that's damaged. Imagine if that psycho had been allowed to run freely!"

Elsa sighed. "Actually, I think they're partly right. My first priority as a police officer is to protect lives and property, and I failed on one count. Neither your boss nor your colleagues will want me here if they find out I'm responsible."

"Property damage is nothing. I mean, look at this place. It's like nothing ever happened!" Jack held his hands up to make a point. "We should be thanking you and your brave colleagues!"

Elsa stared down at her beverage. "That's nice of you, Jack. Really, I appreciate it. But I didn't take up this job to be praised all the time. None of us in the police does. We just carry out our duties the best we can."

"I think you've done a pretty awesome job," Jack said sincerely. "And you're always welcome to come back again. If anyone protests, I'll cover you."

Elsa looked up to Jack, and she smiled. "Thanks Jack," she said softly.

"And as a token of appreciation, this drink is on the house," Jack said sanguinely.

Elsa turned sceptical. "Really? You know, after all the talk we were having, this feels suspiciously like bribery."

Jack threw his hands up. "Oh no no no, it's not! I'm just offering it to you to thank you, my most royal customer. Think of it as a secret privilege."

"How nice of you, but I insist on paying." Elsa passed him the payment with a large tip included. "Here. And keep the change."

Jack shrugged and pocketed her generous tip. "Well, if you insist."

Elsa raised the hot cappuccino to her nose, and took a whiff. "Hmm, smells really good," she praised.

"Do you like it?" Jack asked eagerly as Elsa took a sip. Elsa's look of delight was the reply he hoped for.

"Lovely!" she said. "Though I like it better if it's a bit more bitter."

"Come back again, and I guaranteed you'll enjoy your next cup even more," Jack boasted.

Elsa grinned mischievously. "Oh really? That sounds like a challenge. Fine, I accept it. But if I don't like it, the next cup will be your treat."

Jack's jaw went slack. "Oh come on! Seriously? I'm broke! Now you sound like a mean customer!" he exclaimed to Elsa's amusement.

There were sharp rapping on the front window. Jack turned around, and saw a burly man and a slender woman waving gleefully at his direction. "Oh, it's them. They finally found me," Elsa said flatly.

"Who?"

Elsa looked resigned as she said, "My co-workers."

Jack recognized the woman from her hair. "Wait, is she the other policewoman from that day?"

"Yes."

Anna and the man entered the cafe and made a beeline towards where Elsa and Jack were. "Elsa! What a pleasant surprise! So this is where you've been disappearing to on those nights!" Anna said breathlessly.

Elsa calmly sipped on her drink. "Yes, Anna. Despite my best attempt from hiding from you, you've finally found me."

Anna turned to Jack and stretched her hand to him, "Hi, I'm Anna! What's your name?"

"I'm Jack. I work here as a barista." Jack shook her hand. He just realized she looked very much like Elsa, except she had different hair colour and a much more excitable personality.

"Oh, you work here! So, does Elsa come here often? How long has she been coming here?" she eagerly asked.

"Two months or so."

Anna gasped. "Two months! Elsa, you meanie, why didn't you tell me this is where you've been going?"

"I just want some 'me' time. It's a bit hard to get some privacy while I'm living in the same apartment as you," Elsa said candidly.

"Oh really? Or is it something else, my dear sister? Hmm?" Anna teased.

Elsa huffed, barely hiding her smirk. "Don't be so childish, Anna."

"Sister? You two are sisters too?" Jack asked.

"I like the coffee here, that's all," Elsa answered. "And yes Jack, Anna is my sister."

"So, Jack, how long have you two been dating?" the muscular man asked jokingly. Anna immediately smacked him on the temple.

"Kristoff, how rude of you!" she scolded him.

"What? It's just a question!" Kristoff protested.

Anna pointed at Jack, who was already blushing from embarrassment. "You shouldn't be so direct. Look at Jack, he's embarrassed!"

"Indeed, Kristoff. I'm disappointed in you," Elsa added with a disapproving look.

Kristoff shrugged. "Sorry ladies. Hey Jack, is it still too late for us to order some something?"

"No problem!" Jack headed back to the counter. "What do you want?"

"Okay, I want an earl-grey tea."

"I want mocha with whipped cream and extra chocolate flakes!" Anna ordered boisterously after him.

"Whoa, easy on the chocolate, Anna. We're not on night shift now, remember? You don't want to get sugar rush so late at night," Kristoff warned her.

Anna ignored his advice, saying, "I don't care, I want chocolate now."

"Earl-grey tea and mocha with extra chocolate, coming right up!" Jack repeated the orders to them, already working on their beverages.

"Kristoff, you pay," Anna said.

"Oh come on! I've treated you twice already!" Kristoff protested.

Elsa chuckled as she watched her sister and friends' antics. That night, she felt proud to be Arendelle's police officer.

**Author's Note:**

> This story is loosely adapted from the premise of Patlabor. Do check it out if you're interested in an anime that mixes mecha, comedy and crime thriller.


End file.
